Name: Pork ribs in homemade red mole
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 105 min
Total time: 140 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1000 g bone-in pork ribs, cut into pieces; 1200 ml water; 6 g salt; 30 g dried ancho chillies, stems and seeds removed; 300 g tomato; 150 g onion; 12 g garlic; 30 g roasted unsalted peanuts; 20 g sesame seeds; 25 g dark chocolate, 60–69 % cocoa; 20 g vegetable oil; 1 g ground cinnamon; 0.2 g ground cloves

Pork ribs in homemade red mole

Pork ribs in red mole with ancho chillies, tomato, peanuts, sesame and dark chocolate. Slow-cook the ribs, then finish them in the sauce.

By Néstor Bastidas · Updated on 8 October 2026

Total time

140 min

Servings

Difficulty

Medium

Cuisine

Mexican

Method

Prepare the ribs
Put 1 kg ribs in a pot with 1.2 litres water and 6 g salt. Bring to a gentle simmer and skim surface foam. Do not wash raw meat.
Pork ribs in homemade red mole: Prepare the ribs
Simmer until tender
Partly cover and cook over low heat 75–90 minutes until tender. Top up with hot water if too exposed. Reserve 500 ml cooking liquid and keep ribs hot.
Pork ribs in homemade red mole: Simmer until tender
Toast and soak the chillies
Open 30 g ancho chillies and remove stems and seeds. Toast in a dry pan about 10 seconds each side without blackening. Cover with hot water for 15 minutes, then drain and discard soaking water.
Pork ribs in homemade red mole: Toast and soak the chillies
Roast the vegetables
Dry-roast 300 g tomato, 150 g onion wedges and 12 g garlic for 10 minutes, turning. Aim for toasted spots without charring.
Pork ribs in homemade red mole: Roast the vegetables
Toast and blend the mole
Toast 30 g peanuts and 20 g sesame for 1–2 minutes. Blend with chillies, roasted vegetables, 1 g cinnamon, 0.2 g cloves and 350 ml reserved liquid until smooth. Cool first if the blender cannot handle hot liquids.
Pork ribs in homemade red mole: Toast and blend the mole
Cook the sauce
Heat 20 g oil in a wide saucepan. Carefully add mole and cook over low heat 10 minutes, stirring the bottom. Add up to 150 ml more reserved liquid if too thick.
Pork ribs in homemade red mole: Cook the sauce
Add chocolate and meat
Dissolve 25 g dark chocolate in the mole. Add cooked ribs and simmer gently 10 minutes. Sauce should coat without becoming a solid mass; loosen with hot water if needed.
Pork ribs in homemade red mole: Add chocolate and meat
Serve in four portions
Divide ribs and sauce among 4 plates. Optional rice or tortillas are excluded from ingredients and nutrition. Taste before adding extra salt.
Pork ribs in homemade red mole: Serve in four portions